The Apocalypse Years or the Battle for Eden
by AlexanderSilverthorn
Summary: The DCU 100 years from now through the eyes of Red Death, a mysterious Nomad resurrected from the dead. Now he and his other compatriots must search for a way to save Eden from the machinations of the DCU Villians who have withstood the test of time.
1. Default Chapter

The Apocalypse Years or The Battle for Eden DC Comics Elseworlds Novel Written by: Jeremy Scott  
  
October 8, 2002  
  
Based on the Story idea &Script: The Apocalypse Years by Jeremy Scott  
  
Prologue  
  
We all saw it that day. Warworld, the most awesome force known to the universe looming over our heads. At its helm the dark god Darkseid and his minions finally threatening to destroy Earth and their meager heroes and ruling another planet that would look like his home world of Apokolips. Hell had finally been realized, and Armageddon stared us all straight in the face. The final assault of the heroes of Earth would be made to stop the behemoth planet and it's dark ruler. We all feared how it would end, and as we looked firmly at the battle planet looking at us most knew that this would most likely be our final battleground, but damn it all, we would save this planet. I suppose that's all the world could have asked of us. Or maybe it's all I could have asked of myself.  
  
Alan and I had a long talk about what the possibilities were. The virus wiped out most of the heroes of the Earth then after we managed to get it contained Warworld shows up. Alan lost his son due to the virus. We were able to save Jade, my love and the one that I hope I'm with when this final moment comes. I know it must sound like I've already given up. God knows as I write this it's how I feel, but the truth is that I'm Green Lantern. It's not allowed of me to give up, I've got a world to protect and by God I'll do it. If for nothing else, I am the ring bearer because I fought long and hard to become the hero that I am. Never giving in, never surrendering. Even now I stand with heroes and villains alike that are fighting so that they world may survive. I'm looking at Guy Gardner, Superman, Wonder Woman, Dr. Polaris, Deathstroke the Terminator, and Killer Frost. The latter three are maniacs and yet they are here to try and fight for the planet. I suppose it would do them no good to be under the heel of Darkseid while they themselves want to rule the planet. I suppose war makes strange bedfellows. Even Superman admitted that, even as his face turned grim and elongated. Someone close to him passed on from the virus too. I suppose that sort of thing would change him. Even Captain Marvel is long in the face from it all.  
  
I would like to state here and now for the record that if none of us come back; I hope that our legacy will remain. The world needs us in the worst of ways and if this journal should be found and there is none of us who went to Warworld left I beg of you to keep up the fight and bring down Darkseid. If Darkseid isn't in control and another threat looms keep the peace as best you can. The virus brought some people back from the dead if it does again then they maybe the last hope for this world. I hope that it doesn't come to this, but then with as hard as we've been hit in the past month we don't know how to react. Rumors of a tragedy in Gotham have hit and Batman nowhere to be seen, if he's fallen then one of the best has gone and his worries are over. Unfortunately it also means that we've got problems. Batman's expertise is always valuable, if he's gone we're that much more weak in defenses. Diana is a great tactician though, so I have great hopes there, but I wish very hard that we had the two of them together for this. I suppose though that I'm being irrational about the matter. We've never failed before and the stakes are just as high as they ever are and ever were. I suppose I'll stop being like this and go forth to save the world again.  
  
In the event of my death or all our deaths I leave this, we did what we could. Under no circumstances are you to give up the fight for freedom.  
  
"IN BRIGHTEST DAY, IN BLACKEST NIGHT, NO EVIL SHALL ESCAPE MY SIGHT. LET THOSE WHO WORSHIP EVIL'S MIGHT BEWARE THE POWER OF HUMANITY'S LIGHT."  
  
I leave you this legacy so that you might find a way to do so. My name is Kyle Rayner; I'm the Green Lantern. I'm a member of the Justice League, and I want the world to know above and beyond we care. Let our light burn long after we have gone, so that in the future hope can still be seen. Inspire others to do what they can for their fellow beings, whether that is human, animal, or alien. This is the lesson we all tried to teach, let it be heard if none of our other lessons are to be learned.  
  
I love you Jade,  
  
Kyle Rayner  
  
Chapter 1  
  
It was 100 years ago when the silence was broken. The explosion was heard through the stars as the dread of Warworld exploded in its final attempt to bring down Earth. Darkseid almost beat the heroes of yesteryear, and in his own right he did. There was little left of the heroes but tattered capes and costumes of the Legends that went to save their home. The last thing anyone saw before the tidal wave hit was three fallen stars from the Heavens. The heart of the stars died upon impact. The wave from Warworld hit over the Pacific Ocean wiping out most of the United States, Asia, Europe, Russia, and many other countries. The leveled cities were bad, but not as bad as the mourning in the heart of the people of the world who lost their champions. The only thing left was the Department of Extranormal Operations, which had decided to become the law enforcement of this new world. They had been experimenting on quite a bit of different things just in case of a superhuman war, now they could use them for the job of policing the rest of humanity. Hell had truly come to Earth.  
  
Smallville, Kansas was the home of Clark Kent. The world never knew that this mild mannered reporter was in fact the Man of Steel. Now instead of this little provincial town that stood for heart and morals it was a barren heap used as a junkyard by the D.E.O. for old vehicles and other such scrap. There are still humans that live here, but the most indigenous life form is a "Hybrid." Hybrids are humans that have been altered with animal DNA and changed to better adapt to the environment. The Hybrids of this area are called the Junkyard Dogs. They protect the interests of their creators, but sometimes to no avail.  
  
On the outskirts of the Junkyard a man in a red uniform walks up to the gates. His face cloaked with a hood.  
  
"Ya know, this used to house several people, I'd almost say that this place was happy once," he thought to himself. He looked around the area that resembled more of the Sahara Desert than a town and just shook his head. He continued his walk observing the place with watchful eyes. Then in the corner he noticed the movement of something within the wreckage yard.  
  
"You've come to a bad place Red Death. I think you mean to go back to Arkham City," said the Lead Dog with a snarl.  
  
"Ah...another happy reception committee. I mean to go into this yard and get some supplies so that I can go and help with the Wall."  
  
"You know that I'm not just going to give my valuables over. You know the rules."  
  
Red Death stood there looking at the Leader. He saw 5 more of the Hybrids walk out of the piles and around their leader. He realized that they were fast and agile, but smarts wise they were still as human as could be.  
  
"I figure it won't take Superman to beat the hell out of these guys," he snickered to himself as he looked over the pack. The Leader kept his stance while the others started making their plans of attack. Red Death decided at that moment that he wasn't going to discuss this any further and knew his course of action. He pulled his gun on the Leader. "Yeah I know the rules...if I want it I need to fight first. So let's fight."  
  
Leader looked down the barrel of the gun with the look of a frightened pup. The others saw it and realized that they maybe fast, but the trigger on the gun was faster. If they tried to take him they'd be dead within moments.  
  
"Go right ahead Red Death. I'm sorry to have inconvenienced you."  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
Red Death removed his hood and the glint of light off of the silver skull mask shone into the dog's memories. They knew that this man wasn't one to be trifled with. But that wouldn't stop them from trying once his back was turned. He walked past them with confidence and started to go toward the metal piles when the he felt the shadows creeping up on his shoulder.  
  
"Now I could believe that I'm gonna do this without incident, but that would be extremely naïve on me," he thought. He knew that the foolish Hybrids would try to press what they thought as an advantage to take out the red intruder. Foolish of the to consider, but he supposed they thought it was worth the try anyway. He turned around and fired off his gun. The gun was like a cannon when fired. They got the point as they scattered that the gamble didn't pay off.  
  
Leader was on the ground when Red Death walked up. The concussion from the blast of the gun knocked him on his back. His companions decided to leave their Leader to his own devices.  
  
"Tisk tisk...I'd almost think that they don't want to further upset me."  
  
"Heh...Yeah...they don't want to hurt your feelings Red." Red Death looked the dog in the face. Leader realized that he was about to pay for the infringement one way or another. Red Death bent down and grabbed him by the hair of his chest, which made him howl in pain.  
  
"Let's talk a bit about this shall we? I don't know if you've noticed or not, but I'm not Superman. I'm not bright, happy, or in the mood to deal with stupid people. You seem to forget this. I've been here and we've done this dance before. So let me spell this out, next time you die. Alright?"  
  
"Yeah...got it." The dog looked at him with extreme fear. He realized that his life would be spared, but that was little comfort. He knew that Red Death wouldn't leave without the parts that he came for and that maybe too long for his tastes.  
  
Red Death started his walk further into the yard and then stopped to look over his shoulder to see in Leader was still where he left him. "Ya know, maybe I'd like a nice fur tunic. This one's old." Leader cringed as the words hit his ears. Red Death couldn't give any indication of emotion, so it was hard to tell if what he said was an actual thought or just a scare tactic. He was going to take the first option and leave it at that.  
  
"Why start a further fight? I'm just gonna stay here till he's out of sight then I'm going to go and sleep. Yeah that's it, sleep for a long, long time that way I stay out of his sight."  
  
Red Death started looking at the pieces of scrap metal laying about the place. All the while he stood and thought of the ordeal. "Ya know, I'd love it if this wasn't the norm. Ever since Warworld came back to Earth that last time this has been a regular thing. Hope that little incident got him thinking, or maybe I'm too hopeful." He often thought this way. It was tiring to him to keep fighting one battle after the other. The victor was normally the one that walked away alive, but then again that was a relative term to him. He saw the senselessness of it all and he hated what he had to do to get a job done. That was something though he had to get over and quickly. There was no escape from it. There were no heroes left on Earth, just people trying to survive. He wished that there were heroes, but they all died. The nanoprobe virus started the job and Darkseid finished it. God how bleak had these days become.  
  
He looked around for pieces that were big and thick to fit the wall around Arkham City. 100 years ago it was called Gotham City, but that was before Brother Joker came to be. He was the product of religion and the genocidal nature of the psychotic man. The Joker killed a man for reasons that only he truly understood and then picked up the book he was reading. The Bible told him stories about sinners, God, and how God dealt with sin in the days before Jesus. Joker took that as a lesson for himself and killed millions by flooding the city and filling it with his Joker Venom. The rest of the people followed him afterward because he had the only food source in town. Batman tried to stop him only to fall victim to one of the elaborate plans Joker had. No one but the Joker knows what truly happened that day, but speculation has run high. The reality of it all though is that atop the old Gotham City Police Department next to the old Batsignal; the Joker had Batman nailed to a cross and placed there as a martyr to his cause. Red Death saw it; he was one of the lucky individuals to escape Arkham City and helped to erect the Wall around it. He was scared that "The Faithful" as the Joker has called them would escape and reek havoc among those outside. Life has been hell enough; he didn't want them to suffer that much more.  
  
Thoughts of the heroes of yesteryear hit Red Death. He looked up to the sky like so many people do. He looked for any sign that Warworld would be reborn and return to finish the job it started. He looked up farther and thought; "This is ridiculous, anyone that was on Warworld got incinerated in a moment when it exploded...but what if? God, I'm not even alive and I'm worried about it. Suppose they couldn't kill everything human in me."  
  
Red Death was there the day Warworld exploded; Nanomachines resurrected him from the dead. He was programmed to destroy metahumans of any sort and lead other corpses into battle. Unfortunately the superhero community had been able to fend off the virus so that the programmed "Death" faction was given back their free will. The problems really hit when Red Death realized that he couldn't remember who he was in life, all he knew is that he was Red Death. He struggled to remember, but nothing came to his memory. Though his search for his identity had to wait, Warworld arrived and the issue was more important. The Arkham City Faithful were attacking trying to get people to repent and Batman was nowhere to be seen. Red Death led troops to deal with these errant individuals who fell victim to the Joker. Then he saw it, the symbol of the Joker's madness; the Batman nailed on a cross. He fought harder to keep these people out of other cities. He beat them back only to see the massive Warworld explode and the green energies that tried to protect Earth from being destroyed saved the planet the one last time. The Earth survived, but not all the surface did. The shockwave ripped up the surface rather badly. It destroyed most everything, but the East Coast remained intact for the most part. There were areas that were wrecked severely, but then there were those areas still standing proudly, though the people were as savage as those outside the area. Many tales are told to this day of all the heroes that died in battle. Most say that they ascended to their godhood by their final act of courage. Some say that they are out there amongst the stars so far away from home that they haven't gotten back. Others have come to the grim conclusion that they are gone and that the only thing remaining are the bits of their costumes that were left on the fragments of Warworld that did breech the green barrier. Red Death has heard them all; more often than not he goes in search of these tales. He's an encyclopedia of all the tales that have been told thus far about them all. Sometimes he thinks that if circumstances hadn't forced the position he's in on him he'd have been one of them. Reality is grim, and so the idea fades just as quick. Then he thinks about a book that he picked up. The last words in it were "Just Imagine." That's all he could do, but the truth is that reality says he must fight dirty and deadly. Something that every one of the heroes he idolizes avoided every chance they got.  
  
"Overkill? Yeah, but hey, who's gonna stop me? Batman? There was a happy time once. I like the Superman stories. He was a good guy. I think his methods were a bit on the simplistic side, but hey those were simpler times." He knew that they were only human under it all, but his thoughts on the matter were pretty clear. They did what they had to do to lead an example. "He and the other heroes did what they had to do for survival. Thanks to their policies though...it caused one hell of an upheaval. Times were different then, maybe if they'd had some insight that Warworld was coming they would have planned for it. Suppose that's one of those things. It happens, no one can help it, but we do what he have to."  
  
The world is different. The D.E.O. wanted to control the populace after the fall of the world, and almost have. The hybrids are fighting, so are some of the humans, and then the Death Faction, but the D.E.O. is far more powerful. The nanomachine virus was theirs originally. Word got out of the development of these machines and their purpose, which meant that certain groups in the hero community would get interested. In these times the rumors of what happened are varied. Someone said that one of the Bat- family got themselves into D.E.O. headquarters and tried to collect a sample when it infected them and then started using the communications links in the hero's costume to transmit its design to computers that could mass-produce. Others say that the test run of them went horribly awry and what the probes learned ended up corrupting them. No one knows for certain. The only sources of the nano's left is in Arkham, in the Death Faction and in the hands of the D.E.O. No one knows where in Arkham, though no one has the courage to go and face the faithful. There in lies the problem. The detection equipment made to track them hasn't found any traces of them outside those areas, but even though the D.E.O. has them they deny it. It's a frightening prospect to the people of the world; no one wants a repeat of the Nano Virus, but they'd still take it over the loss of all the heroes and places in which to go to seek refuge. Warworld got into range of the planet and then attacked. It hit every government office and church, synagogue, and temple. Darkseid would rule this planet or have it destroyed for its defiance. His message to the people of Earth was clear, he would be their one God or they would no longer have the need of one.  
  
Red Death shook these thoughts away from his head. He had a long journey back to Arkham and the thoughts of the way things were weren't going to change what happened. "Why they choose me? Some say they did DNA analysis and came up with who they wanted, but what good does that do when I don't know who they is." It seemed to him that no matter what he did, he couldn't escape that question either. He didn't know who created him. Why he was created was obvious, cannon fodder, but that didn't answer whose plans it best fit. The D.E.O. was the obvious candidate since they created the nanoprobes, Lex Luthor was an evil genius exposed right about the time that Warworld hit; the Joker had a cruel sense of humor. All these people, no real clue. What good was it to speculate? He needed answers and all he did was ask questions. "I'm gonna find out one day. Until that day though, survival is of the utmost importance. God knows that the faction lines have blurred for the common good, but the truth of the matter is that once the common threat is gone we're gonna start killing ourselves."  
  
He saw a cart and put his parts there into it. He walked around for about two hours filling the cart with all sorts of different odds and ends before coming up to a man working on the engine of one of the broken down vehicles. Just as he walked up to the man he noticed that he'd shifted many towns in the process he was standing firmly in Keystone City. The "newer" old vehicle deposit, and there with the vehicles was Charlie. Charlie was always a busy man; he always was under the hood of a car or truck. Red Death had talked to him several times and while they couldn't claim friendship they could claim friendly acquaintance. In Charlie's case, any sort of "friendly acquaintance" was a welcome thing.  
  
"This is where they started to store the old vehicles. The D.E.O. thought it funny to store here the fastest ways around in the old home of the Flash. Damn comedians in the D.E.O., that's all we need," he thought to himself. "You got a vehicle for me Charlie?"  
  
The mechanic turned around to see who it was that spoke to him. "Hey Red Death...yeah we've got a few ready. Have any troubles getting through the junkyard?"  
  
"Just some of the normal animal control issues. Easily taken care of with the proper incentive. So what kind of fuel source do I need this time."  
  
"Nadda, we got us the latest scrap model. It's electrical and thanks to that little nanotech upgrade that we all know they aren't using, yeah right. They've been able to convert some matter into a nice little source that never burns out. Said they used Black Lightning's DNA and some skin samples to get the power source then they have a brain C.P.U. that controls the output of electricity."  
  
"Makes me wonder why the D.E.O. abandoned this place?" Red Death inspected over some of the vehicles. Some of them were in surprisingly good shape. All they needed was a special power source that was developed by the D.E.O. right after the Warworld attack. Once the power packs get upgraded they discarded the old ones to this vehicle graveyard.  
  
"Are you kidding? They figure that no matter what catching people would be easy. I mean have you seen the tech? They've got a damn model now that clocks 230 in under 20 seconds. I mean my god, why should they worry about an old junker? They've upgraded so much that even if someone decided to make this into a weapon they'd laugh it off and then neutralize the idiot who did it."  
  
"Good point. Still, it's the fastest way I have to get this junk to Arkham."  
  
"You still keeping up repairs on that wall?"  
  
"You want Brother Joker and his faithful coming through here?"  
  
Charlie stared at Red Death for a moment in a look of bewilderment. "Broth...NO...that is that I wouldn't like to have them ruin my business." He grabbed a wrench that Red Death handed him and when back to work on the car sitting in front of them.  
  
"I thought not. I'm gonna take that old truck. It'll suit my needs"  
  
"Wait a minute. Tell me something first," he came out from under the hood of the vehicle. He stood there with a look of worried questioning in his face. "What's it like in Arkham?"  
  
Red Death turned his face slightly as he looked toward the ground. It seemed that the shadow's followed his face. "If it's payment you want, I could find something a lot more worth your while than that."  
  
"I wanna know. I really do."  
  
Red Death took a heavy breath and then looked toward the wrecking yard. "The first time you see the downtown area you see the purple robes. They flow like water down there. They try to convert you and if you don't go along with the plan well they make you a happy man. Joker was on a heist the day that a priest got in his way. The priest tried to convert him, and he successfully gave the Joker the means. Within three months Joker became Brother Joker the Horseman of the Apocalypse named Death. While everyone fought the virus and then fought Warworld, Joker kept going. He flooded Gotham City from the Water Reservoir. The water was filled with his venom. It made people happy. The survivors of that incident all gathered around Joker and banded to him. The man killed all those people, over half the damn city. Then told them if they wanted food and fresh water that they would have to work for him. What happened afterward is purely speculation from this point." Red Death knelt down and started drawing the bat symbol in the dirt with his finger. He looked up at Charlie again, and though his was an expressionless face Charlie could tell how painful this was on him. "Joker was always Batman's nemesis. Always a thorn in the side, like Superman and Luthor. His death though would be the spectacle that Joker always wanted to finish the Dark Knight off with. He wanted Batman brought to him alive. After the detonation of Warworld and the destruction of the fleets of Apokolips he returned home bloodied and bruised. They went out to Wayne Manor on a search for loyal followers and any sort of funds to keep them going. All of the men started looking for anything they could find such as hidden safes and the like, instead they found a door. There it was before him. The cave of wonders that many villains tried to find for years. No one had ever done so to my knowledge. He stared directly into the mouth and looked around. There he saw his faithful laying on the ground unconscious due to security features."  
  
Red Death looked up at the sun overhead and noticed that even in the day he could see the moon rather clearly. "Batman came into the house and was immediately hit with enough volts to fry a cow. Luckily the amps weren't high enough to kill him. Batman was tired and weak after all the fighting he'd been doing. He'd watched everything and everyone he knew fall. It was said that they crucified him, then it was also said that the man they crucified was Nightwing. The rumors that Batman was killed in the nanovirus haven't ever been proven or unproven. The only thing I know is that someone in a Bat Costume is nailed dead to a cross on top of GCPD, if that's how it really got there or if there was another reason for it I don't know. Doesn't matter, he's dead and on the top of that building."  
  
Charlie stood there with tears in his eyes and a look of utter shock. "My God. That's the most disturbing thing I've heard in a long time."  
  
Red Death put his cold gaze back on Charlie. "God has nothing to do with that place, even if the Joker or the Laughing Corpse as he calls himself these days says it does." Red Death turned away and then looked at the vehicles again. For a moment there was nothing but stone silence. Then out of nowhere, "Well, I think that it's time that I start toward Arkham. See ya Charlie."  
  
Stunned and shaken, the only words that Charlie could muster were:  
  
"Yeah...see ya Red Death."  
  
Red Death got into the truck and started it up and then headed out for Arkham. It was going to be a long drive, but it would give him more time to reflect on the conversation with Charlie. "I'm sorry that we had to leave it at that Charlie, but right now I've got too much to do. Oh well, out of the fat and into the fire. Arkham City here I come."  
  
Chapter 2: Arkham City  
  
Gotham City was never Metropolis. That was always the greatest hope of the heroes of Gotham was to make it into that sort of Utopia. If any of its defenders were alive today their hearts would no doubt sink from the sheer horror of what the city has become. Brother Joker and his faithful have turned the city into a massive Holy Land. Their main temple is the old Gotham City Police Department. The faithful go there daily to pray at the site where the Batman was placed to show the new order. Though today, Batman is called by another name.  
  
There were at least a hundred people at the temple to hear the words of the Bishop of the Order of Brother Joker. He was to speak of the glorious rise to the words of God to Joker's ears. The people here today have always known Brother Joker, but those of their parents and in most case their grandparents knew what the man behind the Order truly was. Joker was a psychopath, the most classic case of it that there could be. Some people have said that the reasons serial killers kill are 100% understood only by them. In Joker's case that is a truth held very astutely. These days however, Brother Joker is known for being a cleanser of sin. The sick part is that Joker too believes this.  
  
In the 100 years that all the heroes have been dead the Joker remains as ever sick and depraved. The nanovirus resurrected him as well, but he remained different than the rest of resurrected. Joker knew all to well how to manipulate the nanoprobes at his command. It was but another melody to his chaotic symphony. Then, this is the Joker.  
  
The Bishop took the podium in front of the congregation very proudly. The man wore his robe proudly as he started his mass. He looked at each with the grace of a preacher and all the ego of the richest man alive.  
  
"My Brethren, I call you all here today for the 100th anniversary of the Bat Messiah's death. The day we the faithful crucified the Bat Messiah so that his lesson maybe learned for all time," said the Bishop proudly. He stood there with pride in his eyes as he looked at the sheep.  
  
"HAIL THE BAT MESSIAH!!!" Each person screamed it in the streets. They all stood there as proudly as the Bishop.  
  
"Yes, let us remember the day that the wise man came upon our Savior, the Joker, and then told him of the Holy Scriptures. The day that he discovered his true purpose and became our leader in the Holy ways." The masses lapped it up. They were proud to hear the ramblings of the Bishop; they knew that they would be blessed for their obedience to their leader. "We all must revere the day that the Joker realized that he was the Horseman Death and showed all of the city the way of the Scriptures."  
  
"HAIL THE SCRIPTURES!!!"  
  
The Bishop stood over to the side. He stared at the people that were clutching their bibles and crosses. "Now we hear the words of our Savior. We revere him today for his resurrection and his Holy Name he chose upon that day." He raised his arms to the oncoming of the Cardinals with the glass case. The crowd started to pray and give their praise to the case, but the horrific picture inside of it was the Joker. "All give your praise to The Laughing Corpse."  
  
The case slowly opened and the burning eyes of its occupant glared right through the crowd. This was no Savior, but an insane man rose to a place above his actual station. He walked up to the podium in his purple robes, "HI ALL YOU FAITHFUL OUT THERE!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!"  
  
The crowd looked up at him with fear and awe, something that the Joker (or the Laughing Corpse by name now) took great enjoyment in. He gave a smug look to his Cardinals then turned back toward the crowd. "We have much to discuss today congregation, like the idea that for the 100th anniversary of the fall of the Bat Messiah and his rise to his true purpose that we make this the time to spread the word to the world. I have heard many reports from the outside that says that there are those that pray to false deity, such as Superman, and the almighty Justice League. Even to what they consider the Elder Gods amongst the Justice Society. I say we must spread the WORD OF GOD TO THESE SINNERS!!! Who wants to spread the Word with me to the sinners? Who wants us to show them the true way of GOD?!! HA HA HA HA HA!!!"  
  
The crowd cheered for their leader. The idea was planted into the heads of those out there and the Laughing Corpse knew that now he could attack the Wall and wreak havoc amongst the world once again. He continued about his plans for the breech of the Wall and his plans for the conversion of the faithless. Behind him two of his Cardinals grumbled about their predicament.  
  
"We hate this Cobblepot, the entire set up. Working for the Joker, we have no freedoms, and our every move is watched," said Two-Face with a look of hatred toward the Laughing Corpse. "Brother Joker our eyes. That man is a maniac; he could care less about brotherly love. He wants to see a body count."  
  
"Yes, Two-Face, I do believe that we all know that. As far as our situation is concerned though I think we're soon to get out of it. Now that the grinning idiot is about to take up in plans of world conquest things may get a bit lax around here. We may be able to set something up with one of our errant Cardinal Brethren."  
  
"They're all loyal to the Joker, Cobblepot. No one questions him but us."  
  
"Oh, not so. There is one other, but luckily he's no longer in the employ of our "Savior." Do you know who I'm talking about?"  
  
"Don't act like we're stupid Cobblepot, we're just not too sure about him. Of course then we aren't sure about you either and we're working with you."  
  
"Yes, hard times and hard situations do make for strange bedfellows."  
  
"Stranger and stranger yet, but we can't stand being in the employ of the Joker any longer. If you have and idea, we're more than willing to listen to it."  
  
"Hold that thought, Two-Face. Soon enough, we're gonna give that man something to rain on his little parade."  
  
Two-Face smiled with hatred and delight at the prospect of being out of Joker's control. It would be the first time in years. Penguin and Two- Face were also dead and resurrected again due to the nanomachines. Joker specially had them brought back for his own dubious planning and so that he could personally torture them. He made them Cardinals in his Order so that he could watch them and they could watch him as he did what none of the criminal element could ever do; rule the Gotham night. Even now under its new name, Arkham was still just Gotham with a new ruler. Batman protected this city, but the Joker brought them together. It was a masterstroke for the Clown Prince of Crime, he brought the city together where none else could and could cause grand scale mayhem in the process. Not that he couldn't have done it on his own, Joker was good at that, but it was all in finesse. Now he had the hordes for one thing while he enacted another. It was the perfect way to make another level of hell in a world full of them.  
  
The sermon ended and the Laughing Corpse turned to his Cardinals. "Come boys, we have plans in the works and a world to make smile." He looked at them with the contempt and smugness of royalty in the presence of a subject. He knew that they hated him and that they would see him dead rather than follow him in his plans for the demise of more people, but he didn't care. He welcomed the attempt, he thought of it as a training mission for the two of them. Joker often wondered if he had any influence on them whatsoever. They always seemed to brood and plot behind his back, but never did anything about it. In his own right, he was disappointed that they did nothing to him. It was a shame that two (or as Two-Face's psychosis would have it three) inferior, but stimulating criminal geniuses like them would do nothing to him but plot.  
  
"Yes Brother Joker. We are here for your service." Two-Face said with gritted teeth.  
  
"Harvey, how many times do I have to tell you, I am the Laughing Corpse now." Joker smiled heavily when saying this to him. Two-Face was less than pleased by the comment however.  
  
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!!! WE ARE TWO-FACE!!!" He got into the Laughing Corpse's face. "Dent is dead, he has been dead a long time now, and especially now that we have been brought back from the grave. The tombstone said 'Harvey Dent' Two-Face came out of that grave. It is his grave now and we're the only people left. Do you understand?"  
  
"Touchy, touchy. You must remember, I am not just some hood you can intimidate Two-Face. I am the spiritual leader of a vast organization, not to mention the fact that I'm responsible for bringing you from the grave. I can further play with your psyche if I so wished it, it wouldn't be hard to do. I'll call you anything I want, and you'll take it, I don't care. I'm in to making people suffer, and you're making yourself a nice scabby target." Joker smiled sadistically at Two-Face. Two-Face knew that the man meant what he said and he'd do it too.  
  
"We hate him, we hate him with a passion. Smile for now you grinning gargoyle, soon we're gonna make you suffer. There won't be a world order of smiling faithful, but a revolution that's gonna bring you down."  
  
Joker walked over to Penguin. Penguin stood there with a cigarette in his mouth and looked at his "leader" striding confidently to him. He knew that the man was looking to make a point that he lorded over him and Two-Face, yet he too took things in stride.  
  
"Well Ozzy, what did you think of my little speech today?"  
  
"It was in the vernacular, a travesty, but as you are so fond of pointing out the sheep followed the herder into hell and never batted an eye."  
  
"I just love warm woolen mittens, don't you? HA HA HA!!!" The Joker laughed endlessly to the skies. Penguin however found the comment less than amusing, but dared not show it to the Joker.  
  
"Keep laughing you buffoon, I'll soon have you sorted out. When I do, oh yes, when I do I'll make you suffer for every last thing you've done to me." The Penguin smiled at the Joker's comment so that all appearances would look good.  
  
Two-Face walked away from Joker on his way to the rectory. Often times he went there when he'd had a run-in with Joker. He had taken no more than three steps when the Laughing Corpse looked his direction. "Oh Cardinal Two-Face, where are you going?"  
  
Two-Face turned his head to look over his shoulder and said, "I'm gonna go pray for awhile...my "Savoir."  
  
"Okie-dokey," the Laughing Corpse said with a pleasing grin. He then darted over to Penguin shoulder. "Man is he a sour puss or what?"  
  
"Perhaps he's a bit on the edgy side at the moment."  
  
"Hope it's something I've done...HA HA HA HA HA!!!!"  
  
Two-Face made it to the rectory and looked toward the wall. He saw the modified cross that hung there, and instead of the face of Jesus stood the face of the Batman. He stared into the eyes of the fallen hero with such disdain that the only thing to rival it was the hatred he had for the Joker.  
  
"You couldn't leave well enough alone could you? We had a life before you, we had it all and you came and ruined it all for Dent. You, Gordon, and him, you could've had Holiday together. The mob would've been gone and then we could've hit the Freaks. We could've had it all, but no, you had to be the hard-ass that wouldn't give an inch. Dent worked hard hours to get Holiday, and for all that you brought down a lot more on top of him. Now you got us, and you still had the gall to call us friend. Bastard." Two-Face picked up the cross and threw it across the room. "BASTARD!!!"  
  
He grabbed the figure off the cross and stared hard into its sunken wooden eyes with killer instinct and contempt. "We have a tortured existence due to you. We finally had peace and because you wouldn't let go we've been awakened. Now look at it, Joker took it all from you. Then that freak brought us back from our rest and quiet to lord over how he did what we couldn't. Damn you, we'll get revenge on you yet. Oh yes we will, and when it happens you'll know what sort of horrors you created. We will make sure that this time you don't get a simple martyrdom on a cross, but an existence of Hell like we've had."  
  
A preacher knocked on the door. "Cardinal Two-Face?" The boy trembled as he called to his Cardinal  
  
"WHAT?!!"  
  
The preacher entered the room nervously. He was terrified of Two- Face and with good reason. In his career as a Gotham power he killed several people on the fate of a coin. A coin that to this day he still has with him. He looked at the preacher in the face with the disfigured eye, which glared deeply into the boy. The heart of the preacher pounded with fear as he stared at the scar on the face of the Cardinal. "Cardinal Penguin would like to see you at your convenience."  
  
"Fine, then be gone from us before we give you a closer look at the scar."  
  
"Cardinal sir may I ask you a question?"  
  
Two-Face stood up and looked over the preacher. He fished in his pocket for a moment and then pulled out his coin. He looked at the preacher for a moment and then flipped it into the air. The preacher heard ever whir of air that it made before it fell back into the Cardinal's hand. His heart pounded harder and harder still until Two-Face looked at him with a somewhat calmer disposition.  
  
"What do you want to know?"  
  
"I'm sorry for intruding upon your prayers and private vigil Cardinal, but I overheard some of your words. I was curious, do you hate the Bat Messiah so much?"  
  
Two-Face turned away from the boy and stood there with the figure of Batman in his hand. He stared at it hard, but not with the same look he had previously given it. The question mulled in his mind for a moment and then he looked over his shoulder at the boy. "Yes."  
  
"How can it be that you believe so heavily in the works of the Savior and not in the Messiah? They are a unity that many have never dreamed of achieving."  
  
"We believe what we've seen. The "Savior" brought us back from a certain death, the Messiah damned me to it. You know peace because you were born into a world that has known the faithful to be a way of life. We've known more than that, and we can tell you that if it weren't for the Messiah, we could have been better off. So could you. The myth of the exploding star being a sign of righteousness is a load. The only thing righteous about all of it is that we're finally rid of the people that ruined our lives. But balance said that while we're rid of them that we also have to clean up the mess they left."  
  
"I've never heard of it that way."  
  
"You've never had a reason to. You're brainwashed since birth to believe that the Savior and the Messiah brought you out of a sinful existence on this planet. What they brought you into was a city trapped inside of a wall with people that have to be hunted due to the fact they won't conform. The Savior killed most of them and the Killer Croc Sect is eating the others. You hear the beautiful part about how we are changing the sinners to faithful by cleansing. Foolish boy."  
  
The shocked look on the preachers face said it all, the realities that Two-Face was giving him were sinking in. That left him with very few words, but he managed to find a few. "I'll take these words into advisement, thank you Cardinal Two-Face."  
  
The preacher turned to walk out the door when two bullets found their way into the boys back. Two-Face stood there with the pistol and his coin. "Make sure that you do in what ever life you have next." He walked up to the communications box on the wall and pushed the button. "Laughing Corpse?"  
  
"Yes Cardinal? Have you got a Happy Meal in the box for me?"  
  
"We have a traitor. He was slandering your purpose. He broke the cross in the rectory. We had to cleanse him of his sins."  
  
"Ooh...well at least you got to have some fun. Oh well, we have a few hundred more to counteract that, I'll start a citywide search for more non- believers in our midst. HA HA HA!!!"  
  
"Yeah, we got plenty more for the meat wagon. Cardinal Two-Face out."  
  
He walked to the door intent on making his meeting with Penguin then he stopped and looked back at the preacher on the floor. "Price of knowledge these days." He threw the figure of Batman at him and walked off leaving the body for the cleanup crew.  
  
Penguin poured himself a glass of Brandy and sat in his chair awaiting Two-Face's company. He sat there and looked at the picture on the wall, it was a depiction of the battle between the Joker and Batman. It was painted at the Laughing Corpse's behest. He stared long at it wondering how much more of it was an exaggeration than just the layers of paint showed him. He often thanked God (albeit as more of a phrase than actual belief) that he wasn't a telepath. He knew that if he got into the Joker's head that it would be a nail that would drive him utterly insane in the end. He looked at some of the other adornments that were around the walls of his office. Such as the case file pictures of Mr. Zasz, Killer Moth, Killer Croc, and several others. He looked with quiet laughter at the fools that tried so hard to end the Batman. Often times Penguin laughed at the way Batman was brought down. All the villains that you could ask for, several different psychosis problems, and even some that were as sane as the next man. Out of all these the one to take him down was a man in a robe, with a cross, and a bible in hand.  
  
"Is this how you imagined your fall Batman? At the hands of a madman with religious zealot written all over him? You know, I always thought that you were too good to be brought down by the likes of the insane individuals. Bane, Ra's Al Ghul, Me, someone like that could bring the Batman to his knees, and it was the Joker that got you in the end. Many people in the underworld took the bet that is how it would happen. All of us that got to be your betters at times took the bet that Joker would be dead due to you finally snapping. We were wondering when you would finally fold underneath the pressure. Damn if you didn't do it, no you held on and fell under the man's boot heel. Now you're his symbol. I couldn't have thought of a better ending for you, but I might yet you pointed eared freak." The Penguin took another drink from his Brandy when he heard the door open.  
  
"You sent for us?" Two-Face stared at the drink and then went to go pour himself a glass.  
  
"Quite my friend. I have found our missing Cardinal, and better than that he's in familiar territory for us both."  
  
"Oh? Where would he be at?"  
  
The Penguin lit a cigarette and blew the smoke from his nostrils as he smiled. "Would you believe in old Gotham?"  
  
"The Waterfront? That's perfect, so when do we meet with him."  
  
"We make the arrangements. Some of my personal preachers went to the Waterfront and tried to convert some of the faithless today, they came back with reports of someone that struck fear among a few of them. He called himself the God of Fear. When they tried to cleanse him he ended up dousing them in some sort of mist. They ran back here to tell me. What I plan to do is to send one of them back with a note and then we meet with him to discuss plans to show the Savior a new path."  
  
"We will be sure to keep up with this. We're rather excited to be rid of the clown finally. Hopefully we can bring him closer to his Messiah than he is now."  
  
"Perhaps, but only time will tell. I'll send one of my preachers first thing."  
  
Two-Face got up and finished the Brandy in a swallow and left the room with a smile on his face. Penguin sat back and thought about the words that his uneasy partner left him with. "Hopefully we can bring him closer to his Messiah than he is now."  
  
Penguin turned his chair back to the Batman/Joker depiction. He looked over the picture in extreme measure thinking that maybe Two-Face had something in what he said. He thought long and hard about what they could do to bring Joker to his knees. Whatever it was he knew it to be in the picture and in the words of Two-Face. What though could it be? Then after an hour of deliberation with himself he looked at the picture with a new vigor. "HA! This is a plan worthy of the Joker himself."  
  
The Laughing Corpse sat on his throne in the office of the former Commissioner, James Gordon. He was in a mood to bring in the masses and allow them to ask their feeble questions and allow them the answers that he knew that only he could give them. He did this every so often so that he could show the lowly people what it was like at the top.  
  
One man walked in very slowly and knelt before the throne of the Laughing Corpse. He looked up at him with reverence and gave a kiss at the feet of his Savior. "Oh my blessed Savior, I ask of you that you give my family food to eat. We are but humble people and have not much for food."  
  
"Food? OF COURSE I WILL!!! The Laughing Corpse looked over to his bodyguard and nodded his head and then the guard shot the man. "See how kind I am? You'll be home in time for dinner, as the main course. HA HA HA HA HA!!!! See to it that this man is trimmed into nice steaks and roasts for his family would you Gil?"  
  
"As it pleases you Laughing Corpse," said the man with full respect. He murdered a man in cold blood yet he acted as if he did something as normal as shaking the man's hand. The Laughing Corpse saw this and knew that he was as loyal a guard as any he'd seen. That had to mean some sort of trouble. Though he didn't think that just any death would do, it had to be something along the lines of protection, then the thought of he Croc Sect. He knew that the likelihood of conversion was nil, but what would it hurt to try? He couldn't after all be killed by conventional ways and though he knew it he still acted as humble in his mind as to any other religious leader.  
  
"Thus proving without a doubt, there's one born every minute. HA HA HA HA!!!" The Laughing Corpse shook the thought from his head. He looked at the far wall at the cross that hung from his wall. He well remembered the day when he had all the crosses changed to look like the scene atop the Holy Orders Temple. He looked deep into the eyes of the cross with that smile on his face.  
  
"100 years later and you're still beaten Bats. Hee hee heh...I got you. No one else could and I got you and you never ever suspected it. You knew that the Horsemen of the Apocalypse came into town and smiled the deaths head grin that you came to despise of me. Not that I cared, I had my laughs and no matter what, no matter the ending we always knew it would be you and me." Joker turned his back on the cross for a moment. He walked around the room for a second. In the midst of the silence he looked over to the cross.  
  
"DON'T MOCK ME BATMAN!!! You know I hate that silent treatment you always gave me. You knew I was your better from the moment you laid your beady little white all over eyes at me. You laughed with me once; at that moment I knew that you could understand the joke. I knew you could, but no, you wouldn't get the others that I told. None of them, NONE!!! I hated it when I tried so hard to make you get the joke, to laugh again and you stared at me the same way you are now, silent and cold. You think that because you're a wooden statue that I would miss the signs that you were actually in this room staring at me with those blank eyes? DID YOU?!!"  
  
He calmed down for a moment and looked out the window at the people praying at the building and pointing at the body that was nailed to the cross above them. He smiled the sinister smile and laughed the sinister laugh that had been his trademark for more than a century.  
  
"Stare all you want Batsy, I got your flock. All of them, and soon just in the name of making the world realize your failure I'll take the others as well. All those little friends of yours in the other cities of the world will have faithful just bursting to join. What? Yes, I've heard about the Holy Order of the Justice League and the Church of the JSA. I know them all, and they will all fall before the Order of Brother Joker. What of St. Dumas? Ra's Al Ghul owns the Order of St. Dumas; they're protecting Eden. Don't you know anything? But soon I'll have my own Eden and the world will have nothing but a smile."  
  
Joker looked out the window again and then grabbed a glass of water and threw it at the cross. The glass shattered into pieces and soaked the wooden icon. "LEX LUTHOR HELPED ME GET ARKHAM CITY!!! Though taking over Santa Prisca is a point I have thought about, but Lexy would be cross. On the other hand Lexy could help me again, and I know he'd love to get his hands on Eden. Yes, YES WE COULD HAVE EDEN!!! But how to get to Santa Prisca to ask him? Well, what's a spiritual leader for if not for visiting places to give hope? HA HA HA HA HA!!!"  
  
"There is a week long celebration being held in honor of our greatest battle and your death. The plans to run the Wall is at the end of the final day, but we're gonna make the faithful real zealots by the that time. HA HA HA HA HA!!! I'm gonna resurrect your little friend on the roof Batsy. Oh yes, I'm going to bring Nightwing back for a presentation to the faithful that'll make them march through the hell that's outside and we're gonna have a barbecue after to celebrate! Or is that to commiserate? Either way when the fires start he'll suffer your fate again and again. And all this because you wouldn't laugh." The Laughing Corpse turned to the city and looked at the crowd outside the building. "You really didn't think I was fooled did you Batman? DID YOU THINK YOU COULD HIDE THAT YOU WEREN'T THE ONE CRUCIFIED ON MY TEMPLE FROM ME?!! DID YOU?!! Sorry to disappoint you Batsy, but I knew too well I didn't get you. I knew it the entire time, but no one out there does. HA HA HA!!! They think you're rotting body is on top of the world looking down on them as a symbol of the great coming. It's wonderful that they're so blind."  
  
There on the wall in his office stared back the cross. Batman's face cold and unfeeling. The man that was depicted on it wasn't always like that, but when it came to defeating the evil that loomed in his city he had to be. If for a moment he showed the unwavering look of fear the criminal element wouldn't have taken him seriously. Today though he is dead. Things have changed, and with the times he might have too. For today in the eye of the wooden representation stands a single drop of water. As if it had heard every single word that the maniac in front of him spewed he shed one tear to denote his feeling of failure. He always tried to remain the proud protector of Gotham, but now his worst nightmare stands before him the leader of the people.  
  
"Look now Batman, I rule the night. HA HA HA HA HA!!!" 


	2. Chapter 3 Luthor

Chapter 3: Luthor  
  
Lex Luthor was one of the most ruthless of Superman's enemies. If the man had a plan it was to advance him as number one and if that meant crushing people along the way, it was all for the betterment of Luthor. He was a self made man, brought up from the slums of Metropolis into the tallest and most recognizable corporation this world ever saw. That unfortunately ended 100 years ago after the destruction of most the world. Though where most would see ruin, Luthor saw potential.  
  
After the earthquake that destroyed Gotham City, Lex decided he wanted to own it. The deeds to the land and rights to the buildings were still there in the wreckage and Lex knew that if new deeds could be forged then he would have two cities under his thumb. For this job he needed the best and someone that could make sure that a run in with the city's protector would be of little issue, for this he sent Bane. Unfortunately, the deeds to the lands were saved and he was informed through and operative by Bane that WayneCorp had all the deeds on record and well protected. The plan fell through, but Lex Luthor never gave in to regret. There were many plans yet to be hatched by the criminal genius.  
  
Shortly after the Gotham incident Lex Luthor got into power and made himself a force to be reckoned with as President of the United States. The man got to learn the dirty secrets of the White House and then turned around and started to plant further moles and recording devices around the government for his own personal use later. If it were to be done then he would know it. Luthor looked at this information carefully even when his term as President ended he still had his sources and bugs to rely on for information.  
  
The day that Warworld was eliminated and Superman with it he cracked open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. His assistant looked at him with shock when he saw Luthor sitting in his chair at his desk with the champagne glass in hand asking the lowly man to join him.  
  
"But sir, we lost some of the greatest heroes this world has ever known, we even lost Superman!"  
  
"Yes, let's drink to the demise of one of the best heroes of this world." Lex smiled as he drank the toast. "And this time that damn Kryptonian will stay dead," he gave himself the moment to think.  
  
Lex looked at the papers of figures on his desk and reviewed the meanings. He saw that the sale of technological equipment was down to an all time low due to the nanovirus. Lex looked at that and just smiled that grin of defiance. "The world went down from there and we may never look at things the way we did ever again, but I got them with the virus and thanks to Darkseid the job was finished. The clown has his city and I have mine. A city for the world, and what I don't own; I will." Luthor laughed and the returned to his drink and cigar.  
  
For all of this time people thought that Lex Luthor was dead. He was a bad dream in the time of heroes, but the nightmare lives still. Nanoprobe technology improved quite a bit despite the claims that anything to do with it had been stopped by the D.E.O. If Lex didn't control the D.E.O. it would have been true. The man had many samples of the technological wonders and he put them to use in more things than anything anyone would want to imagine. His body finally started to fail him and then they cloned him a new one, but that didn't stop disease trying to ravage his brain. Thanks to the nanotech it was soon to be combated and Luthor was again the man of the next century. He looked at many that wondered how he was going to do it and told them that he wasn't going to give up all he's created by giving in to mortal weaknesses. The staff understood him clearly; the man before them was a genius.  
  
He walked along the corridors of the refurbished fortress that was Pena Duro. When he came to power he knew that the best idea was to get a nice little place outside of the nation he once called home. Santa Prisca became an impenetrable fortress for all, but still Luthor hated one particular idea. He never could get his hands on Eden. He'd created something similar, but that one utopia was outside the reach of the man. He'd been listening to the reports saying that Eden was growing each and every day with new and more powerful effects on the land. Ra's al Ghul might be anything you could name, but something Luthor never could be said about him, he was no fool on matters of intellect or power.  
  
Luthor stood proudly in his office awaiting news on the troops that were to come. Cloning on Santa Prisca had become something of a rather popular trade, and its army had two of the strongest genetic examples for military purposes. Luthor knew that he had to create an army intelligent and deadly. So he took Bane's DNA and his own and had the nanotech work them together and start to build the perfect soldier, and what's more, totally obedient to Luthor himself.  
  
"Mr. Luthor?" A man ran up to him.  
  
Luthor slightly rolled his eyes and looked toward his aide. "What do you want Wentworth?"  
  
"Sir, we've just got the package you requested. It's in your office. Fresh from the badlands."  
  
"Excellent. Let's go see my newest acquisition shall we?"  
  
"Yes Mr. Luthor," said Wentworth with a slightly groveling voice. Reginald Wentworth was a meager little man with good business sense. His real problem was that he was a doormat to those more powerful than him. So it was no surprise to him that when Lex Luthor had him commissioned to work he became the scapegoat for so much more. Though Lex knew that it didn't matter in the slightest one way or the other, it's not like there was anyone these days to dispute his claims, he also realized that if there were a chance someone would try and move in on his business he'd have the perfect patsy.  
  
Luthor walked into his office with a swagger as he looked at the sealed package.  
  
"Do you know what this is Wentworth?" He said with an overbearing smile.  
  
"No Mr. Luthor, I don't."  
  
"Then let me regale you with the tale. It started with an explosion of a massive mechanical planet called Warworld. And how the bulk of heroes that tried to stop it ended up dead and the few others that were to survive this ordeal hid from the world. Now the story could end there, but there were the proud symbols of those heroes that made it back to Earth on the pieces of Warworld itself. And for that we can be grateful. One hero flew into battle valiantly after his life was taken from him figuratively. And when the battle was over, he died literally. Many mourned the death of the great hero, and some even sang songs of his great deeds. But some of us celebrated that alien's death. Now money these days isn't really a necessity as we've learned. It's all about what you have in resources. So I contracted some of the Hybrids to go into the badlands and start searching out for the memorabilia of this "gallant" hero in return for food and shelters. This is the second item they've sent me. The first one was a tattered cape. I can only imagine what this will be."  
  
Luthor ripped open the package and stared at the contents with flames in his eyes. He gently picked up the tatter that was inside and showed it to Wentworth whose look of utter subjugation only increased. At that moment Wentworth stared at a charred remnant of an S-Shield that came from the chest of Superman.  
  
After Luthor watched the horrified reactions on his aide's face he soon went to a wall and clicked a button on the light fixture. When it opened up a glass case with the cape came forward. Luthor removed a key from his pocket and opened the case placing the "S" in with the ripped up cape. Wentworth looked to see that there was not one cape in there, but two.  
  
"Mr. Luthor, whose cape is that with Superman's?"  
  
"That too is Superman's tattered and worn cape. I retrieved that from Metropolis after a long time of it being passed around. That's the cape he wore when he fell at Doomsday's hand."  
  
At that moment a fleet moths started rapping at the window. Luthor looked at them with some disgust and no other sign of any emotion.  
  
"I'll send for the exterminators sir."  
  
"That won't be necessary Wentworth, I'll deal with this personally. Go and make sure that the cloning facilities are in working order."  
  
Wentworth bowed and took off quickly. Luthor went to the window and opened it as the moths flew into the office. Soon the sounds of little mechanical whirring started and the Laughing Corpse appeared in the chair behind Luthor's desk.  
  
"LEXY old pal, it's great to see you again," the Laughing Corpse smiled at Luthor.  
  
"Brother Joker, or the Laughing Corpse these days is it? What do you want?"  
  
"No tearful greeting for an old friend?"  
  
"When one walks in I'll be sure to make my eyes well. Get to the point of this visit."  
  
"I've been thinking about expanding the congregation to a more mass audience. I mean Arkham City is a blast and all, but there's so many blasphemers out and about."  
  
Luthor shook his head slowly and just smiled. "Are you still trying to pass yourself off as a religious leader? Come on, you care about as much for God as I care for your cause."  
  
"It's worked good so far, 100 years of gags and still counting. HA HA HA!!!!"  
  
"So now you want to expand the fun house. How far are you wanting to go with this?"  
  
"I was thinking about seeing Eden, the faithful would love it out there. They could see the "fruits" of believing."  
  
"They'd see the gleam of a sword and about a dozen Azrael warriors at the front gate. You know full well that Ra's won't let you get anywhere near that place."  
  
"Tisk tisk, and here I thought we had technology and cloning vats to get us along."  
  
"Tisk tisk, we have clones that could fight, but we don't know how many Ra's has. He's hidden the facilities for the Azraels somewhere at the poles. And as for nanotech, forget it. Ra's knew what he was doing there too. The electromagnetic fields are stronger there than they are here, which renders the tech dead."  
  
"Gee cue ball, it sounds like you're giving up."  
  
"I'm Lex Luthor, Joker. I never give up. I just improvise. And one  
thing I'm hell bent and bound on doing is getting my hands on one of  
his proud Azraels. Something I doubt you and your faithful will be  
capable of. You can't even stop the Death Squad from locking you  
down."  
  
"Yes, I have to say that's depressing. Red Death and his associates have had that nasty wall up for sometime. I've been so preoccupied with other things I haven't given it much thought."  
  
"You haven't given a 210 ft. wall, much thought? What the hell have you been doing Joker?"  
  
"Improving the conversion rate. I mean those nasty disbelievers are everywhere. Even amongst my Cardinals."  
  
"HA! That's fat bird and the dual personality disorder is still planning on taking you down? They've only had the better part of a century."  
  
"They've become a great deal slower since rigor mortis set in. HA HA HA HA HA!!!"  
  
Luthor poured a drink for himself and lit a cigar and stared at the capes and his new S-Shield. He looked at the Joker's reflection in the glass to make sure that he stayed put. Luthor stood there and smiled at his collection.  
  
"Are you still fawning over the Mound of Steel collection," Joker broke the silence.  
  
"Asks the man who has Batman nailed to the roof of his headquarters. And carved on those interesting little crosses."  
  
"He's the Bat Messiah, we have to show the flock his great purpose."  
  
Luthor turned back to Joker. He put his glass down on the table and he threw Joker out of his chair, then taking his seat. "Listen you fruit cake, and listen well. If it weren't for me and my nanovirus you're petty attempts would've fallen flat on their face. I'd go as much to say if it weren't for me you'd have been put in your grave for good and forever. It should come as no surprise that I know who's on your roof. It's not Batman, Batman was infected by the virus first and the virus code was transmitted to Oracle whose taps transmitted it and spread the ability to create the probes at mass. You've got Nightwing in Batman's tights. You missed him clown, I got him. And while I can't have Superman, or claim the kill myself I made his life hell before he died and he went to his death with nothing left to live for. I wanted to choke the life from his body myself, but if I couldn't do that I'll have the ripped and torn banners that were blasted from his invulnerable hide. To sum this up to you really shortly Brother Joker, I helped you get Arkham City. I made sure that the nanovirus hit enough to get your plans underway. When the greatest of the heroes of this planet died I had what I wanted and so did you. I knew this scam from its baby steps, so don't hand me this BAT MESSIAH crap you've given the rest of the world. It doesn't wash, okay?"  
  
"Gee Lexy, I see you're a bit testy. And here I was thinking you'd be helpful in getting Eden."  
  
"Oh, don't worry about that Joker, I'm still planning on getting Eden. If you want in on it you'll conform to my wishes or you'll wish you'd died back with Batman."  
  
"Do you really think that's possible Lexy, I mean we both know that I'm not going to roll over that easily."  
  
"Do you think that the nanotech that I supplied you wasn't going to have fail safes? And that the stuff I gave you, despite your modifications, wasn't going to have backup programs hard coded into it to make sure you wouldn't pull a double cross?"  
  
"What happened to the double crossing, under handed Lexy that never told his plans to the guy he was screwing over?"  
  
"That man had the Man of Steel breathing down his neck, not some false prophet that's looking to rack up a body count. In short, if you're a threat I'm not seeing it."  
  
:"You know chrome dome I think you've been in the Caribbean too long, the sun beating down on your bald head has made you crazy, and I know crazy."  
  
"Joker, if you haven't noticed you and I are immortals now. We're playing in a ball game we're several centuries short on. Vandal Savage and Ra's Al Ghul thought they had the market cornered on that, simply that they would outlive us all. Now its true that Ra's has outside means to do it and those means do tend to lessen as time goes by, but unless I'm very much mistaken he's been feeling pretty spry these days for a man that's Lazarus Pit wasn't working so well for him back in the days of the Bat."  
  
:"I wouldn't know, pointy beards had no use for me...well maybe dead..."  
  
"You'd be surprised what a man like that could use you for. A distraction for one."  
  
"Lexy, is that all I am to you is just a distraction? I thought we had something you and I?"  
  
"We do Joker, it's called a business love/hate relationship. Where we get in business and I love to hate you for finding a way to screw it all up."  
  
The Joker got up from his seat and walked up to Lex's face. His trademark smile soon became that of anger. His eyes flared as he stared into Lex.  
  
"You arrogant, self-serving...Lexy, you and I had so many good times together. There was taking down Superman, taking down Batman, taking down the Justice League, and to come home, no dinner cooked, no kiss, it doesn't even look like you cleaned the house today, well that's really hurtful. Harley told me that I should just divorce you and get it over with. I mean who avoids their spouse for a century and gets away with it? I'm afraid there's a huge divorce coming and I don't remember signing a prenuptial agreement. So you've got a lot you own me baldy."  
  
"Try it you psychopathic Harlequin. You'll regret it."  
  
The Joker dissolved into moths starting to wreck the office and Lex stood there as he did. Lex put his finger on his desk and activated a switch, which released a keypad hidden in the wooden frame of his lavish desk.  
  
"What you're seeing here Joker is an EMP field. It'll render you useless in a few seconds while I'm still smiling and watching the little electronic sparks of your life die out. Do you want that?"  
  
The moths looked at Joker and they created the madman's face in a scowl. They flew out the window and over the island in a heartbeat, but Luthor knew what he was doing and that it'd just be a matter of time before Joker's wounded pride would make him come back and in deadlier force.  
  
"WENTWORTH!!! Come to my office immediately."  
  
Wentworth ran back to Luthor's side with skulking precision. He looked out the window as the moths flew further into the horizon.  
  
"Has the Metropolis operation been fully stocked and readied Wentworth?"  
  
"Yes Mr. Luthor, the tunnel diggers were able to bore through below the sewer lines and into the former Underworld and created the new labs extending out from Project Cadmus."  
  
"Good, I expect it'll take a short time for the Joker to mount any sort of attack."  
  
"Sir, you might have just killed him when you had the chance."  
  
"Yes, Wentworth I could have done that. But Santa Prisca is hardly my favorite place and its resources have long been run dry, as has its usefulness. The world at large knows I'm out here. Any villain of his salt could come here and attack from all around and my armies of clones would do me little good. So when his attack comes he'll blow up the island, or I will actually taking his armies out with him and we'll be in our cozy little operation in Metropolis."  
  
"Sir, why lose Santa Prisca to him? I can't see the logic or reason to it."  
  
"Of course not, you've never had anything you could consider as an acceptable loss, but this is. Santa Prisca gave me the opportunity to culture clones and samples. It also allowed me to do it in relative peace. However Wentworth, change is on the wind. How long before Ra's expands the doors to Eden and we're but one little island? I'm beating him to the rush. Ra's might not consider me a threat, but I always treat a fellow philanthropist like he does. It's just good business to believe that to keep your belongings you must always fight for them. Now comes the clown. He wants to kill me because I insulted him. He's already been threatened and he knows full well I have as itchy a trigger finger as his. He comes in to get his revenge and the island is blown. Some will think I'm dead, others will know I'm alive and they'll be wary of where I am in the world. I could be anywhere after all, and that's what will weed out the small contenders the ones that panic under that pressure. However Ra's will know, Savage will know, and the Joker will have it figured out by the time he's blown to pieces. That leaves us at an interesting balance of power. Ra's will no doubted keep himself where he is because he's not threatened. Vandal won't stand for it though. He'll want to stop me because I moved, because I broke the agreement to stay away from the continent of America, his continent. He allowed agents to go and collect the refuse from the badlands, but I was to never step foot on the soil of the Americas again."  
  
"So Savage will attack with his Hybrid armies looking to destroy you sir?"  
  
"Quite right. Metropolis is my oyster after all. She's my city and he knows it. He'll attack LexCorp tower, and it'll lead him into the sewers. His hybrids senses will be put to the test by all the different defenses I've had placed in those dingy walkways to keep the riff raff out. Savage will come to me and he will be killed. Thus leaving Ra's and I as the two balances of power."  
  
"Sir, if I may be so bold, what if the Joker doesn't come here?"  
  
"I have an agent on the inside of Arkham City whose freedom was granted. The Joker will be rendered useless one way or the other. I don't play poker without stacking the deck Wentworth."  
  
"Sir, this sounds like a risky venture."  
  
Luthor turned to his aide and looked at him with those harsh eyes that stared down upon commoners before. His proud demeanor looking upon the face of his cowardly assistant gave Wentworth chills.  
  
"Two things Wentworth. One, there's always some risk, but to a great intellect he plans for the contingency. Two, you'd better learn that showering me in your prattling questions and doubts is a good way to get replaced. You're not indispensable, just someone whose background fit the bill for the perfect lackey. Understood?"  
  
Wentworth looked at Luthor with some shock and full understanding. His life wasn't his and he knew that. Lex Luthor had him over a barrel and at anytime he could cut the ropes plummeting him to God knows where. He merely responded to the powerful mogul; "Perfectly, Sir."  
  
Luthor stared out the window of his office and drifted into thoughts of Bane, and the keen intellect that was hidden behind the face of a boorish brute. Luthor admired a man that would fight to become more than his surroundings and become master of all he observes. In Bane he admired that quality, however he also saw weakness. Bane could have risen to gain a greater empire than Santa Prisca if he'd so wanted, but he wanted the little island to train his forces. They would become an elite army that would take what they wanted from the world. Admirable still, but Luthor knew that even the toughest of the inmates outside of Bane's collective would've folded under their master's heel. That left military outcasts, mercenaries, and Black Ops. These people were in others pockets, and Bane would soon learn how many he'd have to kill to get there, if not for an industrious man wanting to give him the footing he needed.  
  
Bane went back to Luthor to report that he had not gotten the deeds to Gotham. Luthor turned to look at him and told him that this failure was unfortunate, but not unexpected. This also meant that Bane still needed to do something to earn his payment. Bane and Luthor discussed the plans for turning Santa Prisca into something a bit more grandiose. Luthor told him that laws in America for cloning were a bit touchy to say the least and he needed something out of jurisdiction. And in return if Bane did this for him Luthor would guarantee the armies that Bane needed. Bane considered it. To this day Luthor had no idea why Bane accepted the offer other than the most appealing of carrots ever dangled in front of the rabbit. He could see that Bane had plans to overcome him should he suspect a double cross. Luthor remained the master of planning on that front. Bane lived for many years and acquired many lands and things for himself until his unfortunate death by the hands of Ra's Al Ghul. Eden swallowed the corpse of the fool and Ra's sent his head back with a message attached.  
  
"Eden is coming, and those who are unworthy shall be expelled."  
  
When Luthor read the message he laughed at the arrogance of the aged mastermind. He also knew that Ra's meant every word of it. He knew he couldn't dismiss it, but at the same time he found it amusing that Ra's would challenge him. This message came 50 years ago.  
  
"Ra's, you've expanded your small land, but you've created such a wonderful place to live. Everyone wants to know what you're doing to the Lazarus Pits to make them do the things you have. I dare say Batman himself would be stumped and since nothing electrical has survived the onslaught of your Eden I can't find out. I can't have you keeping another secret like that. It's bad enough that I don't have the formula for your rejuvenation bath, but now you're doing so much more with it."  
  
Luthor started studying maps given to him by agents in the field and those of camera bots sent on the outskirts of Eden to view its full size. These usually only transmit for at most a few hours before an Azrael's flaming blade slices it like a ripe orange.  
  
That was another interest of Luthor's, it was long said that the League of Assassins were run by the Demon's Head. He had the best on Earth loyal to him and his cause if the rumors were true. Luthor became curious about why and how he got the Azrael's in his service. As far as Luthor knew Ra's wanted their downfall, and the way his daughter Talia made it sound he had no interest in their practices. Luthor supposed that spoils of war and trophies of the defeated were too enticing not to take.  
  
"Once I find out that dirty little secret of yours Ra's, I wonder what you'll want to do to me. Of course death is always the answer to that, but in my immortality one questions what type would you deem fit to make me suffer through?" Luthor laughed defiantly at first. "That doesn't matter Ra's. We've been inching ourselves closer to a battle. You've been hesitant and that's going to be your downfall. You've gotten senile in your old age and I'm going to take advantage of that. It's amazing how after all these years old habits still keep. I'm a shrewd businessman Ghul, while you're a glorified eco-terrorist. You might have age and experience. I daresay however I'm better, especially in a world you don't fully understand. It might have been your world 300 years ago, but this is my world, my time, you're just going to have to die." 


	3. Chapter 4 Eden

Chapter 4- Eden  
  
The cloaked figures of Azraels stood before the gates of Eden. They were rather large and imposing figures in the Crimson and Gold armor. Their swords standing at attention ready for any that might try to cross its gates uninvited. There were but a few that ever have survived Eden's gates, and those that do never leave. It was a paradise made by the Demon's Head Ra's Al Ghul. Ra's loved to watch those few try to break through and meet the Azraels in battle. Should the Azraels fail to defeat their challengers they die. Ra's was very specific on that point. Only a mere 20 people have ever made it into those walls. Of those that made it in most were Nomads who see Eden for what it is; the explorer's paradise. The terrain was converted desert into lush green land; trees full of ripening fruits, and of course a menagerie of animal life from all over the world. This was another reason Ra's believed that only survivors should enter the lands. The animals roamed freely among the grounds of Eden, and more than one of his dwellers has been mauled to death by something that he couldn't deal with.  
  
Ra's stood inside the mobile citadel of Eden. He looked around the grounds and saw tigers on the hunt for their dinner. He smiled and turned his back to the scene allowing the tigers to go unimpeded by his audience. He walked further into the heart of the citadel and looked at his trophy case. In there was the head of St. Dumas. Ra's stared at it with blank expression.  
  
"Does he still fascinate you that much father," asked the voice of Talia, the daughter of Ra's.  
  
"No my daughter, it's merely just seeing the symbol that for centuries made maniacs out of the sane."  
  
"The dead symbol, but people do strange things father. We've seen it before many of time."  
  
"Yes my daughter we have. People outside of Eden do it everyday with the heroes of yesteryear. The Churches based on the Justice Society and the Justice League. They've all found themselves immortalized by the masses. And even by their one time enemies."  
  
"I've been thinking about paying a visit to Gotham and seeing Brother Joker personally."  
  
"After all this time you're still in love with the Detective. I had hoped that he'd be far from your thoughts now daughter."  
  
"Never totally father, but when I think about the broken body of his on top of that infernal building placed up there by those people that he protected for so long...I know it's a sign of weakness father, he could have ruled them. Still, it was a mark of character that he never let such thoughts in his mind."  
  
"I suppose that the minds of the young are unknowable to someone who has lived so long. I remember my youth quite well, but I also remember knowing that I'd never let myself suffer those pains again. I wish I could spare you yours daughter."  
  
Talia lowered her head and bowed out gracefully to attend other duties. Ra's turned and watched her leave. His eyebrow arched in a somewhat questioning pose. As she went out of his sight he turned his attentions back to St. Dumas. The two's eyes locked on one another. Fixated and though Dumas had been dead since centuries past, he still showed the look of disdain.  
  
"You probably think me a fool, don't you Dumas? Never telling her that the Detective isn't the one on that cross in the middle of his now dilapidated city. I suspect she knows, but I don't think she knows truly what happened to her "beloved"."  
  
Ra's turned his back to Dumas walking towards his impressive sword collection. He picked up the cutlass that sat sheathed and he drew it. He started shadow fencing, though not overly seriously. His mind flashed to the past and the present. He thought hard on the Detective. In the 100 years that Batman has been gone Ra's has never forgotten him, nor would Talia let him. It wasn't that his daughter was being defiant to him; it was the love for the man she knew. Though he knew the Detective did love her he also knew that he would never requite it the same way. As these thoughts hit his mind his blade started to move more precisely. He remembers the battles with Batman to the letter.  
  
Ra's focused on the Icon and Luthor. He never found much use for Superman. He thought him inferior to the Detective. As to Luthor, well to talk of Superman is to talk of Lex Luthor. The two were mutual thorns in each other's sides. Often Ra's sat and thought of the evils Luthor committed in the name of bringing down the Man of Steel. And knew of his quest to obtain the garb of the fallen Icon. Luthor was idealistic, and Ra's was well aware (like any genius of his caliber and someone who knows the greed of the human heart) that he wanted Eden. Luthor had been sitting on Santa Prisca for so long that he almost grew roots. Ra's knew however that this was only because he wanted to give a target a focal point of attack. Luthor would be long gone from there while everyone else suffered the wrath of the industrialist. And when the island went, plans would be set in motion that would no doubt effect every major power on the map and thoroughly destroy the minors. This made Ra's smirk a little. Luthor had been so dependant on his genius of technology that he didn't believe there was a thing he could really do to stop him. Luthor sentries would be useless flying into Eden because the moment they did the tech in their suits would be fried leaving a bunch of dead men. As to the few that survived the plummet, the occupants and Azraels would kill them. No, Luthor would have to do better if he wished to stop Ra's and gain control of Eden.  
  
His sword gallantly moved through the air. There were many of enemy put to the blade of Ra's and those that were didn't survive, save the Detective. It was through the Detective that Ra's met another interesting and brutish man; Bane. Bane and he played chess while he stayed at the Demon's palace. An intellects game and he admitted that Bane played well. He also helped to build the Wheel of Plagues, and became Ra's' Ubu for a time. Ra's heard many stories of him before his employ, and how he ruled the Gotham night for a time. He knew that this man broke the Detective. A masterstroke of his was watching Batman for weaknesses as the inmates of Arkham Asylum ran amok through the streets. Once Batman had been physically and more to the point mentally worn he beat him on his own territory. Ra's gave Bane credit for the defeat, but little else. Ra's didn't believe in Bane's strong-armed tactics. It was good for bodyguards and sentries but not for a well thought man. Bane could've been so much more had he not become greedy and split Luthor's company.  
  
Bane set foot on the shores of Africa with 200 well-trained men. They were clones of him, modified so that the treacherous part of him would be removed. He told them that a full frontal assault would lead to death, but to sneak attack with fighters spread out around the walls of Eden, that could take the battle. Ra's remember the intelligence reports well. The sweeps Bane's army did on the jungles were thorough to be sure, but they were not thorough enough. One of the surviving assassins came back with the report of the army. This gave Ra's the full opportunity to see the Azrael's in action.  
  
He allowed the army to reach Eden and a few more of his assassin's died. Ra's didn't want to give the game away to his enemy. They'd finally got to the walls and they scaled them in no time at all. On the other side they saw the beauty of what Ra's had protected. Bane could understand why a man would want such a garden. It was a matter of pride in oneself, and it also was a mark of character to show the power of ones convictions. When the Azraels appeared he knew full well what Ra's would do to protect it. Bane waded through them only to have more and more pile on. His army soon was ripped to pieces as each Bane clone was given special attention. Bane, battered and bloodied, was dragged to Ra's to judge him personally.  
  
"Who sent you here Bane? Who sent you here to die?"  
  
"I was sent by no man. Bane took the resources he needed and came here to take your pride from you."  
  
Ra's crouched down to stare the bloodied mess in the face as the Azraels held him into place. "Didn't work quite the way you had planned, did it brute?"  
  
"Give me the opportunity Demon and I will rip your heart from you."  
  
"Are you seriously challenging me Bane? You who took knee to the likes of Lex Luthor would challenge me to a duel?"  
  
"Do you fear you might finally taste your death aged Demon?"  
  
Ra's went to his swords and dropped a cutlass at the Bane's feet. He removed his cape and stood there giving the order for Bane to be let go. Bane looked at the sword and grabbed it fast just barely blocking the blow Ra's tried to inflict.  
  
"You must never hesitate brute, you of all should know that."  
  
Bane swung the blade at Ra's chest, which never made its target. Ra's stood there blank in face and skilled with sword. Bane's natural calm composure started to lose its grip. He tried to center and focus himself, but the blows of the Azraels rattled him a bit more than he'd anticipated. They started to wear heavy on him and made him off-balance. Ra's just watched as Bane used up the last of his energy and fell to his knees."  
  
"You realize that you are defeated. Instead of the graceful death you could have had, your final coup de gras was made when you were in no condition to battle has earned you shame."  
  
"I will die proudly Demon, at least I died fighting."  
  
"No brute, you died on your knees at the feet of your betters instead of rising above them. That's what you were always doing, wasn't it Bane? Rising above those that would suppress you? You would have been better off to accept your fate and stay in that infernal prison."  
  
Ra's stood and looked down at Bane's face. Bane stared him in the eye and Ra's saw the spark still there, but in the forefront was defeat. Ra's swung the blade and it connected at Bane's neck and severed his head from his body. He stood over the body and grabbed his head. He pulled Bane's mask back over his head and he packaged it. "Send this to Lex Luthor, he'll want to know that his template is going to be more useful where he can always watch him." Ra's wrote a note and placed it in the basket with Bane's head and it was sent.  
  
The body was taken to the Lazarus Pit and it was burned horridly to non-existence. Ra's then walked into a chamber that now sat above the pit and saw the face of a boy. He looked at the young one whose powers were growing in intensity.  
  
"Young one, rise."  
  
"Master, why must I do this? It's painful if I do it too long."  
  
"Because when our dreams are realized you will live in Utopia. It is beautiful beyond all our imaginations, and it because of the power of the Lazarus Pit and your control of the Magnetic Spectrum that has made it so."  
  
The young boy smiled at the thought of open spaces. The child was the product of the Order of St. Dumas. It was an experiment on some of the potential Azraels to make them more powerful. In a new day and age the Order wanted to make themselves the absolute rulers of the planet. Ra's had seen the devastation that one of these Magnetic controlled Azraels could have and decided that the Order had finally outlived its usefulness, unless under his control.  
  
Gathering forces from the League of Assassins and his own daughter they stormed the last vestige of the once proud Order of St. Dumas. The battle went on for some hours, but thanks to the skills of the League they eventually brought down the active Azrael. Unfortunately it took half of their forces to get him, but once their defender had died the Order folded under in no time. The monks came to Ra's and told him that his blasphemy would not go unpunished. Ra's had them slaughtered and their bodies thrown into the vile chemicals that made the Lazarus Pit. Talia looked at the bodies around them and walked up with the head of the dead Azrael in her hand.  
  
"The Order of St. Dumas is yours father."  
  
"It only took the destruction of half the world to do it. But at least my point was made to everyone. I could defeat the Order, and the world learned that the only way to survive is to be the one with skill and determination."  
  
After that day, Ra's studied the notes of the Order and gained full knowledge of the project and how they worked many others. With slight modifications of his own, soon he started to create the Azrael Guard. They were deadly killers, and made superb guards for his Eden. And it seemed only fit to make these plans come to life since the death of the heroes. "It takes the end of one cycle to begin another," Ra's thought to himself. Knowing the story of what happened in Gotham, and that it wasn't truly Batman nailed to the cross, he sent several agents to retrieve the real Dark Knight Detective. He knew him to be alive somewhere in the world, but where was another story. He'd often wondered if he was out in Africa waiting to try a coup to stop Ra's "Fiendish Plans". Ra's knew however that if that were the case he would've tried stopping him long before Eden was ever created.  
  
Ra's broke out of his concentration and sheathed his sword. As he looked over Eden again, he started to consider that his immortality had been wearing thin upon his mind. It wasn't his health; it was first rate, but more or less his state of mind. So much happened to him over his life, and now that his plans were being realized he found himself in a great deal of contemplation. He'd been like this many times before in his existence, but now it seemed that it happened more frequently.  
  
"Have I lived my life to its fullest? I have few enemies in this world, and they aren't that dangerous to me. Luthor might still surprise me yet, and Vandal Savage will dare to cross me if he survives the Industrialist. I dare not think that this is my last days. I was failing in health before, even through the Lazarus revivals. Now that the Magnetic fields have been changed to a higher level and the treatments provide full restorations and restored me a great deal of my youth I wouldn't like to think that this gift is so short lived."  
  
Ra's walked into Eden and started looking over those few that were granted entrance. He saw one that sat on the bank of a river where at one time there was none running through this desert. The man looked up at the Lord of the Land and gave a half cracked smile and just returned his face to the waters.  
  
"Enjoying another beautiful day in paradise, Mr. Ghul," the man asked.  
  
"Of course, it has been my life long dream to see this."  
  
"Dreams, the ultimate star on which we wish upon and hope it's listening."  
  
"I don't believe that a second. It's a fool who wishes for dreams instead of making them."  
  
The man smiled again. Ra's raised his eyebrow in questioning to this reaction.  
  
"Do you find something amusing about that, sir?"  
  
"Not in particular Mr. Ghul, I find the point of view refreshing in point of fact."  
  
"What is your name?"  
  
"Xavier Weston, I'm known in circles as the Nomad."  
  
"I know everyone that's come into Eden, and I don't remember your entrance."  
  
"Head's rolled from your Azrael detail, and I must admit that the ninjas were particularly fun to deal with. Still, entrance wasn't that hard Mr. Ghul."  
  
Ra's clicked his fingers and 5 of the Elite Azraels appeared in the area. The Nomad didn't bat an eye as they came to hall him into the mobile citadel of the Demon. They closed in on him and the Nomad took no stance other than to ready his walking stick. The lead Azrael found himself in a bad situation as the Nomad pried the stick between his attackers breastplate and tossed him into the river. He turned to the other 4 and stared at them awaiting the next challenge. Their swords ignited into a blaze of fire and they rushed him. Nomad killed all 4 of them. The first suffered a broken neck, the second got part of his throat armor broken into his windpipe, the third his spine was broken in several places, and the last met his fate with a sharp point in the Nomad's walking stick in the eye socket. After all this he turned his attention back to the waterlogged fighter. The Azrael managed to jump out of the river current. Ra's stood there and watched in silence, and nodded in approval of this man's fighting skills. The Azrael jumped into the air and tried to kick the Nomad only to have his ankle broken and his mask ripped from his face when he landed. The Azrael looked up in some confusion as this man stuck his face into the waters of the river. He thrashed around but finally oxygen gave way and he floated up the river. The Nomad returned to his seat at the bank.  
  
"Impressive Weston, you know how to fight well."  
  
"When one gets challenged by the best martial artists in the world, one learns to fight well. But I prefer to out think my opponents."  
  
"You out thought the Azraels then?"  
  
"One need not have to when their choreography was all preprogrammed. The best fighters of the world could take them in a fight, were in not for the numbers you keep of them these days. But who trains them? Who gives them their fighting technique? He should be killed."  
  
"The best of my armies train them."  
  
"Sad, they seem not to want to lose their position to these guards. I could however train them for you. They need to be their best, otherwise you have glorified hounds."  
  
"Your tongue could earn you trouble Nomad, I'm not in the habit in having subordinates of my lands talk to me thusly."  
  
"Understandable, but my offer still stands. I will train them if you so wish. Call it my gift to one who gave me a place of quiet contemplation."  
  
Ra's turned his back and looked back over his shoulder. "I will consider it, but you will be more respectful to me in the future. You're a fine warrior, but that's where the showering of compliments end."  
  
"Of course Mr. Ghul."  
  
In all this time Ra's had seen some of the finest in warriors come into Eden, but it wasn't the unthinking brutes that made it in, it was that select few that were skilled of the mind as they were of physicality. Nomad would be dead now under any other circumstance if it weren't that Ra's partially agreed with him. He'd noticed that the training that the Azraels were receiving wasn't up to standard.  
  
"I shall have to talk to their "trainer" about such messy work."  
  
Ra's stormed into the training center as the Azrael's trained. He saw them move in unison to the movements of their teacher. The teacher stopped and bowed to his master. Ra's stood there with no movement to acknowledge him, or any sort of pleasant look upon his face to show approval.  
  
"Master, it is always a pleasure to have you visit during our humble sessions."  
  
"Humble. How appropriate to my visit trainer."  
  
"Master, have you been displeased by our work?"  
  
"To put it in mild terms, you've understated my feelings. The Azraels are an elite force, and seemingly they've been made less."  
  
"Master, they are but mere fleshy robots."  
  
"As are you when put into those terms. These are specially grown and entrusted to you to teach them how to fight with their minds as well as their fists. And here I find that you've made them as the Order of Dumas did. Programmed machines."  
  
"Master, is that not what you wished for? A sentry of no real intellect."  
  
Ra's drew a blade and put it to the throat of his assassin. He got the snarling look of a man possessed on his face as the assassin's look went to that of great terror.  
  
"I told you that these were the line of defense to Eden. Robots anticipate only things they are programmed to; a warrior needs his wits about him so to change with the opponent's movements. If you do not know that and anticipate my thoughts or interpret my meanings differently then you are of no use to me." Ra's pulled the blade across the assassin's throat. The man fell to his knees and though he was just slaughtered by his Master, he still saluted him proudly.  
  
Ra's turned to the Azraels with disgust. He stared over their ranks as they stood there staring back at him. Ra's walked out looking again around the garden as one of his servants ran up to him.  
  
"Master, is all alright?"  
  
"No it is not. I was assured that everything was as a well-oiled machine. I see that this information was in error. Even you came too late, I could be run through now with as slow responses as I've seen today."  
  
"Shall I fetch Ubu sir?"  
  
"You will not, he's amongst the League of Assassins collecting the strongest for mating. I think I am getting the full idea now. While my daughter and Ubu are with me my people will act so well, but with just me they fall apart."  
  
"No Master, we never think that. We'd die before we'd ever think such blasphemy."  
  
"I'm not convinced of this. Bring me the strongest of the Azraels."  
  
"Yes Master."  
  
Ra's went and pulled his cutlass from its sheathe once more then gave the order for the chimes to be rung. Talia, Ubu, and all those that served the Demon's Head came running to the citadel. Ra's stepped out bare chest and looking fit as ever. He looked over the crowd with harshness.  
  
"It has come to my attention that many of you may believe me too old to continue my lead over these lands, and indeed over you. To those that think such things, I make you an offer of grand stature. You may rule this land if you can defeat me in single combat. Who amongst you is brave enough for this challenge?"  
  
No one stepped forward. Ra's looked over the crowd. The Azrael he requested stepped forward. He looked at this specimen and nodded.  
  
"This Azrael was personally trained by my daughter to be my citadel guard. Unlike the rest, this one is potent and can think." Ra's swung his blade at the Azrael who quickly defended against the blow. Ra's squared off with the massive protector. The Azrael soon leaped into the air and activated the bundai daggers hidden in his gauntlets and fired one of the flaming blades as Ra's. Ra's stood there and let it get closer and deflected it with his cutlass.  
  
The Azrael spun in air and decided to come at his master again with a sharp kick. Ra's moved out of the way of it and swung his sword to meet the calf of this brave warrior. The Azrael adjusted and his foot landed on the flat of the blade and sprung himself back into the air like a ballet dancer in mid performance. The Azrael pulled his blade and it erupted into a beautiful flame. He swung it at Ra's. Ra's nodded as the challenge seemed worth his time.  
  
The others stood and watched this ancient ruler fight this fit warrior. Xavier Weston nodded as he saw the techniques of ages flow through this master. The spectators just looked in amazement that such dexterity still remained in the old hands of the Demon's Head. Talia and Ubu knew all too well that this man was a force to be reckoned with. Talia especially knew that these displays were good for these people. They feared Ra's and though Ra's knew that no one truly ever thought less of him, he had to show them a physical display when laxness became evident. She had told everyone in Eden many of time that her father didn't get this much without the ability to fight for it. It was in these times that they saw just how much he'd fight to keep it.  
  
Ra's let the Azrael land upon his feet. He raised his blade and the Azrael met him in stance. Both swung and a power of wills began. The movement of each blade ended with the clash of metal and a brilliant flame eruption from the blow. Ra's crossed the Azrael's blade blow for blow. He changed his style for a second to a more devious fighting stance. When the blow connected this time, Ra's let his blade bounce off and when the Azrael wet to meet it with his own Ra's swiped the Azrael's leg. It bled profusely, and Ra's smiled.  
  
"First blood to me Elite, can you match this?"  
  
To the Azrael's credit he didn't let the cut bother him. He twirled the blade to meet his Master's head on. The blade clashed above their heads and they held them there for quite a bit of time. The Azrael pulled away first and swiped at Ra's. Ra's met the blade and the Azrael did an air-cartwheel jumping to his side and the hot blade met Ra's chest leaving a burn across it. Ra's nodded in approval. He knew now that his fun had ended though. It was time to make the example of this Azrael that left its mark upon his skin. The Azrael went to strike Ra's' mid section and Ra's met the blow stopping it dead and then spun the blade with lighting speed and it connected to the neck of the Azrael. The head flew into the crowd and one of the assassins caught it.  
  
"This was an Elite. Not some sheep to the slaughter. This man could protect Eden from invasion. I wish you to know however that no matter the invader, your Lord and Master will always triumph."  
  
The crowd cheered for their Master even through their fears. Talia, Ubu, and even Xavier Weston looked over the crowd knowing that Ra's had them.  
  
"I am he, who is Ra's Al Ghul, you are my subjects, and Eden is our home. Let the land be bathed in the blood of our enemies and populated with the strongest." 


	4. Chapter 5 Red Deaths return to Arkham

Chapter 5- Red Death's Return to Arkham  
  
Outside the wall of Arkham a man stood with a team of others attaching scrap iron to the holes placed in the wall. The man looked much like Red Death, with his uniform and silver skull mask, but his color code was green. He pointed people out to where to place the scrap and what areas they should concentrate on. Though the mask kept from showing emotion, the body language of the man was all too evident. He was tired and very worn. It almost seemed to be an impossibility considering that the nanotech kept him from needing sleep and revived the body structure every 15 minutes. Somehow though, the human side of Green Death seemed to come through.  
  
Green Death was a designation given to him and his kind when they were being used as death squad. These days much like the others of the death squad survivors, he preferred to be called by another name, Jade. He took the name from the history of the heroes that Red Death often tells to the workers. Though Jade knew that the "historical" Jade was a female hero, he thought it could be no better way to mark honor to her than to use her name in the line of what he though to be good. He sometimes wondered what made him so special. Again like his kind he didn't remember who he was previously to being Green Death. Though unlike most, he'd given up on it. It wasn't as important for him to find out as the rest. He thought it to be a good idea to just forget about it. In his mind it was like reincarnation. It didn't matter who he was in a previous life.  
  
Jade never left the wall, not for a second. He had troops and workers out there that swore their lives to keep Brother Joker's faithful in the walls and that of the Reptiles. The Reptiles were the brood of Killer Croc. He'd mated with a scientist that was able to recreate the Langstrom serum that made Dr. Kirk Langstrom Man-Bat. This unknown scientist decided to use the Crocodile DNA instead of that of the Bat because they seemed to be more natural survivors. Although this was the accepted story, it was more speculation, as the true story was lost to the ages. It concluded that from there she and her mate spawned dozens and each year there are more born. Jade often calculated that by mid point of this century the faithful would all have to be converted to nanotech or suffer being eaten by the reptilian hordes. Though it seemed that Brother Joker didn't care much about that. Something that Jade couldn't fully understand was Joker's motivation. Red Death explained that his motivation was insanity. Only he truly knew what it was going on inside his head, and that was far and away enough to cause massive problems for the outside world. Jade knew for a face that Joker hadn't stayed inside the walls of Arkham City, and more to the point that he could've empowered his faithful with the same power to keep them from staying. Though it didn't matter to him why Joker didn't change it, it was the fact that he didn't that kept him happy. The wall worked, and that was all there was to it.  
  
A man screamed and ran to Jade as fast as he could. "WE HAVE MOVEMENT OUTSIDE THE WESTERN SECTOR!"  
  
"Let's move people! We need enforcements out there to take care of it!"  
  
Jade ran fast to get to the breach. He knew that the people inside were looking to get out and more often than not if the faithful were met with disdain they decided to gas their oppressors with the Joker's Smile-X. There had been occasions that they ran away once resistance had been issues by Jade's forces, but it was few and far between.  
  
"Which faction was it?" Red Death asked looking at the man that ran for aide.  
  
"Joker Brotherhood. They've been poking at the wall they found a weak spot in it and are starting to come through."  
  
"This is a hell of a time for Red Death to be gone. I hope he gets back soon, it's been 2 months."  
  
Jade and his forces got to the wall. There were tons of the faithful standing outside the wall fighting back with the righteous attitude of zealots. He looked upon them and they barely acknowledged the presence of more fighters. Jade took out his cannon weapon and fired it into the air. The concussion of the discharge made everyone stop and look over to him.  
  
"CEASE AND DESIST THIS BATTLE NOW!!!"  
  
The fight ensued after the bravado. This time the faithful decided to turn on Jade and his men. Jade tried to restrain from using his gun for fear of hitting his own people.  
  
"Christ...when will I learn that I'm not Batman?" He thought to himself as he battled through the armies.  
  
The battle kept raging, and more and more faithful kept piling out of the hole. Out of the dust a beat up old truck started to honk its horn and the silver skull mask of Red Death gleaned into view.  
  
"COMIN' THROUGH!"  
  
Everyone scattered as Red Death started heading towards the hole in the wall. He started shooting the faithful on the outside when the shots were clear of anyone that was working with him to keep it shut. The truck started to go faster and faster and he aimed it perfectly with the wall. Red Death jumped out of the truck and rolled for about 60 ft and then watched as the truck slammed into the wall with great force. The faithful realizing that they had no place to go started to try and gas all the people. Red Death and Jade opened fire. In no time thanks to the diligence of those that were brave to stand with the former death squad they took out the remainder of the escapees in no time.  
  
"Show off." Jade said to Red Death. "You show up in the nick of time and then pull something out of a movie to end the fight. You know how many lives could've been cost by that little stunt you just pulled?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm a piss off. Got it. The Junkyard Hybrids think of me so well too. So what's the situation in a nutshell?"  
"Joker's been sending them out at regular intervals."  
  
"Isn't the Joker sending them Jade, these guys were feeling penned up. When the Joker sends them, he'll come with and it'll be in force, not just singular disturbance at the Wall."  
  
"I'd feel penned up to if I had to go through what they've had to recently."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"The Reptiles. Word from the Wall is that the Joker sent his faithful into the sewers looking to find people, and to convert 'em. They ran into the Croc herd down there."  
  
"Great, the Langstrom solution at its all time best I see."  
  
Jade pulled a half masticated collar out of his tunic and handed it to Red Death. The white color was stained in a darkish brown color, the color of dried blood.  
  
"They've been coming out the walls trying to get out of there and convert us to their causes. I tried to tell them that the Joker was a madman and that they'd be better off with us out here surviving, but they wouldn't hear of it. They wanted our weaponry and our people."  
  
"They always wanted our weaponry and our people, what's the change?"  
  
"I think they're starting to run low on rats nowadays, cannibalism is one option to keep themselves alive, the Joker's been sending stuff out of Arkham, moths that are probably him in a nanoform. And we've seen him bring things in too, but I think they're for his personal stock. I think these people are trying to get our weapons to hunt Croc Meat. "  
  
"They want to eat the Reptiles? Lovely, madmen of God or what they believe to be."  
  
"It's sad Red, but nonetheless it's the only thing that makes sense right now. Their numbers don't need guns with all the stuff that they've been stockpiling. And the faithful are only fighting us because they're trying to get out and away from Crocs. Joker's got something in mind for these people and soon they're going to do it. And we're going to have to hold down the Wall like never before."  
  
"I'd be disappointed with nothing less. The anniversary of Batman and the Joker's final confrontation won't end with just the celebration outside of the GCPD. It'll end with the plan to extend the lands of the faithful."  
  
"We need details Red Death. We have no one on the outside that knows the city as well as you do. Someone's gonna have to go in."  
  
"With the Death Squad just outside of the Wall? C'mon Jade, we should be able to hear something easily from our current position. Especially since Blue, Yellow and Black have secured their sections. And if all else fails we can extend the nanotech to the wall and use it as our ears."  
  
"Red Death, that's suicide. None of them want to try that anyway, while it's true our nanos self replicate, we'd be at a loss for how big the wall is and how long it would take for our bodies to reintegrate with enough to fight back. There's also no telling what Joker's done to the Wall from his side and traps he's set. For all we know we could be infected with a nanotech virus the minute we tried."  
  
"I know that we've talked about this Jade, but I don't want to go back into that city. It's a mess in there, and not to mention the single most horrifying experience you could ever imagine."  
  
"I can't go in there, Red Death, I don't know the city like you do. We can't risk more than one of us in there anyway. You have to go Red; we need to know what the Joker's planning and how we're supposed to deal with it. God knows I don't want to ask this of you, but it needs to be done."  
  
"I could give you a nano-download of everything. There's no reason that you can't go in there without me."  
  
"I'll give you good reasons. First off, we've got command units in which need our direction to get scrap to points of the Wall that need it most. And amongst others, here's the biggest. You're alone, you've made it a point to stay on your own and help the Death Squad with collection of scrap. You made yourself the maverick, and that makes you the best candidate."  
  
"If you'd seen what I had in there, you wouldn't want back in either."  
  
"Probably not, but that's alright. I'm not going in, you are. And I suggest you do it fast, because the faster we find out what's going on the faster we can counteract. Not to mention the faster you can get out."  
  
"You're a real bastard you know that?"  
  
"From your mouth to God's ears Red Death."  
  
Red Death hung his head, he knew that Jade was right. He's known for many years it would be a matter of time before he'd have to cross the barriers back in. It was the price he paid for being the loner of the Death Squad. He alone kept his designation as Red Death while the others took new codenames. He walked to the truck and started pulling out the scrap he'd picked up in the Smallville/Keystone excursion.  
  
Jade looked at Red Death and knew full well that it was asking a great deal of his companion to go back into that world beyond the Wall. It wasn't that Red Death couldn't deal with what was inside of it; it was the fact that he knew that it dredged up some lingering images from his past life. Red Death told Jade that forgetting was best. Jade of course agreed, but he wished that his friend would listen to his own advice. He shook his head and started to help put the scrap to good use.  
  
They spent hours shoring up the Wall so that none of the faithful got through. Of course long after the humans that were helping stopped working Red Death and Jade continued. Jade could tell that Red Death was stalling the inevitable.  
  
"Can I blame him?" Jade thought to himself. "Had I been in there when the control of us had ended I'd probably not want to hear anyone tell me I'd have to go back. What choice do we have though? If the faithful break that wall no amount of Death Squad will be able to stop them, and the humans will either convert or be killed outright. Damn it, I didn't want to be like this. Who does? We should've just bombarded the city in napalm bombs and EMP blasts."  
  
Jade walked up to Red Death and put his hand on his comrade in arm's shoulder. Red Death looked back at the hand of his friend. He hung his head yet again. He was prepping himself to go into the city. Arkham City, the doorway to Hell.  
  
Red Death scaled the Wall and looked into the city. He saw the faithful outside of it and he knew that it wasn't going to be easy to get through that. In moments the man took flight. This was more ostentatious then he'd wanted to go, but it was the only way he knew to penetrate the city without getting into a firefight the first few moments he was in. Red Death rarely ever used his nanotech to give himself powers. He never really liked the idea of having them. For the most part they ended up making people targets, and if there was something he didn't need more of was a bullseye on him.  
  
He increased his speed to make himself practically disappear. Stealth was the key. He decided that the best thing to do was to land at the Waterfront and then trek into the city under cloak.  
  
"Damn it all. This city stinks of death, fear, and submission. I'm gonna have to beat the hell out of Jade when I get back out of here. Of course he's right, I was the only candidate truly prepared for this mission." He thought to himself. "I suppose this is my penance for not killing Brother Joker when I looked at that ugly face the first time."  
  
He started to flashback to the night he woke up. At that time he didn't remember much of what had happened before that point. He knew that somehow the nanovirus and the Death Squad were defeated and then waking up to a flow of purple robes and those in an old style Roman Centurion armor. He saw a cross being walked through the streets and blood dripping from the wrist of a man wearing midnight blue gloves. He was weak and not entirely stable on his feet when the bright red of his outfit and the silver of his faceplate made the faithful start to panic and even beat him and drag him with the cross to the temple of Brother Joker. He heard the slosh on the streets as the boots still went through puddles of water and he saw several people throwing stones at him. He could hear the voices of many cheering on as they yelled:  
  
"DIE BATMAN, PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO US!!!"  
  
When he looked up he saw that he and the cross came to a stop in front of a building and the Joker stood there in his purple robes and his wicked grin tore through the solemn moment.  
  
"I hear you all out there wanting Batman to die!" Joker started. "We must not look at him as a cursed creature of the night, but a man whose misguided crusade has been given new life! This man did the work of the faithful, and tonight he dies so that others may take up our cause. Die for the cause and live forever in eternal happiness!!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!"  
  
Red Death exploded with energy at that moment fired a beam of energy from his hand to shoot the Centurions holding the cross. Joker looked towards him and ordered his men to cease the unholy maniac.  
  
"HE'S WRECKING THE DREAM OF THE BAT-MESSIAH, THE UNBELIEVER!!! SEE WHAT IT IS NOT TO HAVE FAITH?!!!"  
  
The faithful started to rush Red Death. They chanted and some caught him and accused him of trying to kill them. The Joker had the only uncontaminated food source in town. They would follow this leader no matter what, because he was their key to survival in a time when the threat of Warworld loomed in the skies. He retrieved his gun from the Centurions and fired into the crowd taking several out and he started to run. He knew that day that Gotham no longer existed. Arkham City was born, and it couldn't be allowed to have borders in which to cross.  
  
He called out to the others Death Squad survivors and explained the situation. They at first resisted the idea of caring about this, but something inside of them started to feel and be concerned. Jade was the first to admit that the programming they had and the morals in which freedom gave him were dangerous and could make them all indecisive or worse yet loose the imagination to become Gods among the living. Red Death told all the members that such things weren't a consideration. Many disagreed and several destroyed for it. However some escaped and were never heard from again. This is what Red Death feared from it. How many of them escaped into Arkham to help the Joker? Or joined with Vandal Savage, even tried to take Ra's al Ghul's lands? That night using their combined nanotech they constructed the Wall. It was the first and last time they dared to use it because the Joker made it quite clear in the hours after the Wall was completed that he too had nanotech at his disposal. And then they realized the true importance of being there after an explosion in the sky showed the end of Warworld and the heroes that went to save the planet.  
  
He finally shook off the memories and started to walk through the abandoned warehouses. He noticed that the further he walked towards the city a cloud of chemicals got thicker and thicker. He analyzed it and found out that it was Fear Gas.  
  
"Damn, I ran into Scarecrow territory. Got to move quick before I run into a fight."  
  
He started to pick up the pace and then he heard the footsteps of two individuals. He hid himself quickly behind one of the warehouse walls so he could identify who they were and how best to deal with them. He could've used his tech to fly out at Superspeed or even run, but he knew that the more information he collected on the current situation of the city, the quicker it'd keep him out of trouble and get him away from Arkham.  
  
"Our brother Cardinal has made sure to keep the area coated in this Fear Soup of his," Cardinal Penguin stated. Cardinal Two-Face accompanied the Penguin. Both stood in the streets appearing to be waiting for something. Red Death just lowered his head.  
  
"Of all the luck! Why did it have to be them, and why here?"  
  
"We've been waiting too long Cobblepot, he should've been here by now!" Two-Face said in protest of waiting.  
  
"Patience is a virtue."  
  
"We're not feeling very virtuous at the moment."  
  
The mist parted and a shadowed figure walked out. The mists remerged behind him and the glowing red eyes of the dead man who was the Scarecrow shone into the cloud and through the Cardinals standing before him. Red Death kept his distance to make sure that no one got the chance to see him. He extended out his hearing so that he could hear the conversation in full.  
  
"I should think after all this time Two-Face one would learn to be virtuous. Especially considering the company you keep," The Scarecrow chimed.  
  
"Scarecrow, how wonderful it is to see you again."  
  
"Of course it is Penguin. It's wonderful to see that I'm free of Joker's reign and glorious of an idea how I might share the tech that freed me so you might too."  
  
"We're interested in a plan Scarecrow. We want to plan something for the 100th anniversary celebrations end."  
  
"Do tell Two-Face, I'm interested to hear what ideas you have to give the God of Fear."  
  
"We want you to come further to the city and infect the people with your Fear Toxin and nanotech. A rebellion of the Faithful against their master."  
  
"Ah, I see. The Cardinals of the Order want to be Popes."  
  
"Surely not Scarecrow," Penguin interceded. "We're merely looking for the freedom that comes with not having to serve that buffoon any longer."  
  
"When is the last day of the celebration?"  
  
"Tomorrow starting in early morning and then ending at 12 with the push on the Wall to free us from our "oppressors"."  
  
"That wouldn't be hard to get those infected with the nanotech out, the ones that will suffer are the Faithful."  
  
"Who cares about them? As long as we are freed of Joker it doesn't matter what happens to them."  
  
Two-Face looked towards the Temple and stared as if looking to see the cross. He started to laugh slightly and took out his coin. The two villains looked at him as he flipped it and it spun landing in his hand, scarred side up. "We have a better plan."  
  
"Do tell." The Penguin said questioningly.  
  
"The Laughing Corpse wants to prove the resolve of his plans to the Faithful, let's give him the challenge he wants. Scarecrow we'll need you to start filtering in your Fear toxin to the Faithful at 11 o'clock tomorrow night. It'll give the Joker a headache and he'll order his loyal guards out there. While he's out trying to stop the incursion we'll make our way to the roof and we'll issue a challenge to him the likes of which he'll not soon forget."  
  
Penguin and Scarecrows brows rose with sudden realization and they smiled an evil grin at it.  
  
"So my scarred companion, are you suggesting that we resurrect Batman to do our dirty work?"  
  
"Who better to defeat the Joker? If Joker wants to prove his superiority to the Faithful, should it not be with the Bat-Messiah?"  
  
All three of them laughed in agreement. Two-Face's plan had merit and more to the point it was so crazy that even the Joker might not expect it.  
  
Penguin turned his attentions back to the Scarecrow, "You'll have to use your nanos to do the job. He'd have control over ours to reprogram the Bat to his needs."  
  
"Of course Penguin. And in front of the fearful Faithful the Laughing Corpse will have to fight his greatest enemy and will finally fall. And when Batman takes a look at the city around him he will realize that he failed to protect his city."  
  
Two-Face smiled again with intent and righteousness. "It's the perfect revenge for the both of them."  
  
Red Death slumped to the ground. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Now he knew that leaving Arkham until after the celebration would be impossible, which meant getting word to the others would be difficult at best. He'd have to literally fight his way through the city to the Temple and get to Batman before the three villains did. The very thought of them resurrecting Batman made him cringe.  
  
"Those bastards are sick enough to do it too. They'll use him and torture him with their nanotech and keep him aware the entire time of what he's doing. Jade, I need you in here with me to deal with this. I just wish you could. Keep the Wall safe my friend. I'm going to have to go and resurrect Batman myself before those three maniacs get to him. Or worse yet they mess up and the Joker gets his hands on him. The resurrection of the Bat-Messiah would be a great sign or the final nail in the coffin. If there is a true God in Heaven, let some light shine down on this place. You can't let this happen too, you've allowed too much already. Give some hope to the hopeless before these people truly do become lambs to the slaughter." 


End file.
